we love new york; the upstate edition

We had some good times over the past weekend. We drove up to Rhinebeck, New York to go to a fiber festival, usually just referred to as "Rhinebeck," by those in the know. This was our second year attending, so we were well seasoned to the ways of Rhinebeck. It was great. On the way there, Simon the Subaru joined the 100,000 mile club.

Pretty exciting, for us intrepid roadtrippers.

Even Anders found it pretty cool.

Usually there is a lot of equipment for herding and shearing sheep at these fiber festivals; but, this year it seemed like the fiber merchants outnumbered those selling sheep management equipment--not necessarily a bad thing for me.

The main goal this time around was to test drive a spinning wheel, it's fun getting a lesson for free!

There were lots of pretty things to look at and buy...

But Anders was most impressed with the livestock.

Especially when there were people riding the livestock.

We also got a chance to meet a blogging friend and her family (we've never actually "met" before finding each other at Rhinebeck...fun stuff!).

After we left Rhinebeck with loads of fibery fun, we headed further north to Saratoga Springs.

We had a great meal...a grown up meal (don't let anyone tell you pumpkin ravioli sounds weird...so good), even (though, the place is VERY kid friendly).

And then the next day we spent time in Congress Park walking around...


watching ducks....

riding the carousel...

and enjoying the fall foliage.



It was a quick trip, but we had a lot of fun.

There are lots more pictures over in flickr, as always.

a little hibernation

No, we have no idea.

Antarctic seals (or no seals, for that matter) hibernate, so we will just call our little absence an anomaly, shall we?

I went to a conference over the past weekend, Papa Seal and the pup held down the fort at home. There was a meltdown or two...and the pup had a few tantrums too (hardy har har).

The previous weekend was a good one with lots packed in though. We went to the CGA to celebrate homecoming festivities (and eat lots of crackers).

Noticed some friends while taking pictures of the Windjammers warming up for the halftime show at the football game.

It's always fun to catch up with all friends. Especially when it's unexpected!

And then we wandered to Providence, Rhode Island for dinner and festivities with local friends.

We watched "Water-Fire," ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and then watched a few hundred breast cancer research supporters light the night while raising money for a good cause.

Our biggest recent adventure has nothing to do with wandering anywhere, however. No, our big thing now is saying goodbye to our friend "the cage."

And saying hello to Anders' new friend.

Good times, indeed.

You know where to find more pictures.

adventures with alpacas

Over the past weekend, the Seal pup and I wandered to Bozrah, Connecticut with some friends to visit an alpaca farm.

Alpacas offer a hypoallergenic alternative to wool. Alpaca fiber is soft and very warm. It's fun to knit; and, it's also great for spinning.

It was a good day for a picnic and fun with fiber. Anders had a good time (it was especially fun to chase the alpacas and put them in fear for their lives).

Hello. This is the face of mischief.

Having just returned from Texas, Papa Seal decided to go to work during the great alapaca adventure; but, he joined us later for fun at the playground.

He also joined in for ice cream at our favorite ice cream place (Michael's Dairy!). This is a picture of someone who has had too much banana ice cream.

Tons more alpaca and fiber fun over in flickr!

fun before misery

The past week was a rough one. Papa Seal went to a conference in Texas and the Seal Pup and I winged it alone at home.

We were both sick and one of us was teething. But before Kelly left and we were miserable, we were able to squeeze in some fun.

We went to another football game at the Coast Guard Academy.

It won't be the last, we are season ticket holders (I know.).
And then we went to a local apple orchard in Gales Ferry, Connecticut.

It was the first apple picking trip of the autumn season.
There were pumpkins at the orchard too.

Good times!
We went to our friend CPea's birthday party. She turned 3! (It can be challenging when all of your friends are older than you are, but the Seal Pup holds his own).

There was great fun and "dramatic play" (none of that "make believe" stuff for the modern kids of today).

But Papa comes home tonight and that is just dramtically fun!

Tons of pictures in flickr.

sail away, sail away, sail away...

If there is one thing the Papa Seal likes, it's a sailboat. What is better than a sailboat? A whole bunch of 'em.

The Newport Boatshow is something of a tradition for us. We head up to Newport, Rhode Island to walk around and look at boats and sailing gear, and then count ourselves lucky (and smart) when we walk out having bought nothing except a Del's lemonade.

If we keep going, odds are, we will eventually buy a boat (like a toy one!)...but for now, we are just looking.

Some of us are looking harder than others.

The Seal Pup is fond of calling out various modes of transportation and wasted no opportunity to imform us each time he saw a boat...at a boat show. Since the propensity of pointing out the obvious is often cute when kids do it, he was able to get away with it.

Anders really liked the boat show (this year was much better than last year). It was fun for him to take off his shoes like the bigs to walk on the boat decks.
It was fun relaxing barefoot on boats that belonged to other people.

But he knew where the fun was to be found. He liked the navigation/chart tables a lot.

And there were a few boats on which he made himself at home.

But I think he was most impressed with the number of buttons that could be pressed on a boat.

After an afternoon of fun at the boat show we ended the day at the local fudgery. It's another Wandering Seals family tradition.

Tons more boat-y fun over in flickr.

are you ready

...for some football? After the Mama Seal went to a baby shower and the Papa Seal took the Seal Pup to a friend's birthday party, we all went to CGA for a football game. It was Anders' first.

He loved it.

As CGA football games go, it was a pretty good one.

The Secretaries' Cup game against long time rivals the MMA Mariners. It was a nail-biter.

The Coast Guard Bears were able to bring it home in the end though.

Go Bears!